Hope For Happiness
by KDN89
Summary: With his brother's wedding fast approaching, Takeru contemplates his own relationship with Hikari. How far have they come? How far will they go? Unfortunately, introspection and possibly even the wedding may be delayed when the groom and his best men are running for their lives. Follow-up to "Light and Lies". Takari with other canonical couples mentioned. T for alcohol and dialogue
1. Chapter 1: Girls' Night In

**A/N:** This is a follow-up to "Light and Lies" but can be read as a stand-alone without much confusion. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 01: Girls' Night In**

"Here, Hikari. Open wide."

One of the major benefits of being close friends with the hostess of a sensational online cooking tutorial series was the taste-testing. Hikari Yagami felt a spoonful of moist western-style cake slip into her mouth and her eyes lit up like her Crest.

"Since Yamato is a quarter-French, I've been playing around with some European elements," Mimi explained. "If I can get the flavors and style right, I'll have both a recipe for the wedding as well as my dish for network auditions."

While her best friend enthusiastically gabbed on about her mentor's exceptional culinary skills, Miyako sat impatiently at the Ishidas' dining room table drumming her fingers. Having been informed of the American custom of "bachelor and bachelorette parties" by Miss Tachikawa, both Yamato and Sora were eager to plan respective Guys' and Girls' Nights but the evening was not as cut-loose or exhilarating as the younger Chosen had been led to believe.

"Are we really just staying in tonight?" she suddenly called out. "Ken said the older boys were preparing for at least one alcohol-induced hospitalization but we're not doing much with these bottles of wine."  
>"Oh, you've got plenty of whine, Miyako," Mimi playfully chastised before plopping a plate of baked gold onto the table. "Plus it's Sora's wedding. If she wants a quiet night indoors to dish about the boys, we're having a quiet night indoors to dish about the boys."<p>

"Then let's dish about the boys!" Miyako brightened up, hastily refilling their wine glasses to loosen some tongues.

"Okay then, Miyako," Sora giggled excessively, her face a bright red. The grown-up Child of Love was a one-drink maximum pushing four glasses at the moment. Many believed her low-alcohol tolerance was God's gift to help her endure the antics of both man-children that were her soon-to-be husband and her longstanding best friend. "So is _gentle_ Ken still _gentle_ behind closed doors?"

The lavender-haired girl felt her blush building despite only a handful of sips of wine. Waving her hands frantically, she deflected the inquiry with, "Wouldn't you'd rather hear more about Hikari and Takeru?"

In the kitchen, Taichi's sister spat out her drink in surprise. Mimi peered into the mixing bowl in front of Hikari before muttering, "I guess the next cake is going to be alcoholic now" and adding copious amounts of liquor.

"That's right! It's been over a year now and you two had that promise, right, Hikari?" Sora beamed, attempting to clap gleefully but her palms missed one another. "So how devilish have our two angels gotten?"  
>Miyako sheepishly shot her best friend and apologetic look for throwing her underneath the bus. Hikari, however, missed this silent plead for forgiveness as she was now face down in the mixing bowl, shoveling spatula after spatula of unbaked courage into her gob.<br>When the young Yagami emerged from the batter and toweled herself off, she was beet-red, although none of the girls could determine whether it was from embarrassment or the Parisian cognac Yamato "accidentally" left behind at the apartment now seeping into the flour and eggs.

"The One Year date was great but we didn't actually do. . . it, " she explained as her hand crept once more for the spatula. Mimi softly slapped the younger girl's hand away before dumping the contents of the mixing bowl into the sink.  
>"Wha'?<em> *hic*<em>," the pending Mrs. Ishida drawled, one more glass vanished like she was a human Orochi. "Promises are supposed to be kept, _*hic*-_ari."

"I know and I was ready," the younger Chosen admitted bashfully, "but Takeru seems so preoccupied lately that I didn't want to push it if both our hearts weren't 100% into it."  
>"What's got Takeru so riled up that it overrides his teenage hormones?" Miyako pressed, both curious and shocked. "I mean, if Ken so much as touches my elbow, his mind goes blank from blood loss."<br>"I think you just got your answer, Sora," teased Mimi, eliciting giggle from Miss Takenouchi and a bright blush from Miss Inoue.

"No offense, but I think it's the wedding that's bothering him," Hikari suggested, anxiously staring into the depths of her glass. Chancing a glance at her hostess, the young brunette found not a scowl but a broad grin plastered to Sora's face. With a relieved sigh, she continued, "He doesn't talk about it much, but his parents' divorce defined his childhood as well as a lot of concerns about love and relationships. I think he's just uneasy about the idea of another Ishida marriage."

Sora continued beaming and Hikari pondered if any of her words had registered at all until her senior leaned forward and jutted her index finger at the young Yagami.

"Tell Takeru not to worry _*hic*_ cause I'm the Child. . . Woman. . . of Love," Sora declared cheerfully with a wave of the hand and some involuntary swaying. "Yamato and I are gonna be the _*hic* _the first stable Ishida marriage and Takeru won't have to worry so much. We'll have babies and they'll have a Gabu-_*hic*_-mon and a Biyomon and a Gabiyomon and a uh. . . uh. . . ."

Evidently, leaning forward to address her junior Chosen was too drastic a shift in equilibrium for Sora. That or that sixth glass of wine. With a slump and a THUMP, Yamato's fiance fell face-first into the living room carpet. Silence and tension permeated through the air, dissipated only when a muffled snoring could be heard from beneath the hostess' head of auburn hair.

"Miyako, can you carry Sora over to her bed?" Mimi requested as she met Hikari's eyes, nodding her head towards the dining room table so that they could both take a seat.  
>The two sat in silence with the exception of Miyako's grunting as she unceremoniously tugged on Sora's leg to drag her to the bedroom. When the lavender-haired girl's groaning sounded far enough away, the rising cooking star abruptly announced with a small smile on her lips:<p>

"You know, Koushiro used to worry he wouldn't be able to raise his own daughter."

Hikari blinked absentmindedly in awe of the gravity of something so random.  
>"His adoptive parents are wonderful but the rest of Koushiro's biological family generally ignore his existence, which is why he was taken in by such a distant relative, someone thrice removed from his father" she elaborated, her tone calm but acknowledging a latent sadness. "When his own flesh and blood has been apathetic to him for nineteen years, how is he supposed to emotionally connect to the next generation of that same family?"<p>

"Thing is, recently when Koushiro finally had to face his fears," Mimi continued, perking up, "instead of cowering, he said he'd take what he learned from his adoptive father and build a family that could rely on him." Tears pooled in her eyes as she finished, "I'd never been prouder than when he told me he'd find some way to relate to his daughter so that he wouldn't be absent from her life as well."

"Mimi, that's wonderful," beamed Hikari. "But what do you meant Koushiro had to face his fe-"  
>An innocent glance at Mimi's glass caused the truth to hit the teenage girl like a sack of potatoes.<p>

_Has she been drinking only orange juice all night?_

"Mimi, are you-"

Glowing with a radiant grin, the young chef explained, "We're waiting to tell everyone. Didn't want to steal the spotlight from the first Chosen wedding."

"Point of the story," she abruptly declared, patting the tears away with her sleeve, "is that sooner than later, Takeru will have to confront the anxieties of his own childhood, just like Koushiro and most likely Yamato did. And we both know that like Yamato and Koushiro, Takeru will make the right choice when that time comes."  
>"Thanks, Mimi," Hikari meekly smiled back.<p>

After receiving more congratulatory doting from Taichi's sister, the internet idol excused herself from the table to check in on their inebriated hostess and her disgruntled caretaker. Leaning back, Hikari slowly exhaled. Some of the stress remained, but her senior was right: she trusted her boyfriend's judgment. And like Sora and Mimi, she would be there to support her paladin as he faced his own demons.

PING!  
>Midnight messages on the D-Terminal. Hikari casually flipped the device open.<br>_Speak of the devil._

**whenpigsfly:** Well good evening, beautiful. And here I though angels rose and retreated with the sun like the brilliant lights they are  
><strong>PinkPixie:<strong> Hey, save the sappy mush for when we're in person and I can mush your cheeks  
><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> Ok, but you can only squish _my_ cheeks if my words don't make _your_ cheeks blush  
><strong>PinkPixie:<strong> Mimi's wondering why I'm giggling loudly for the next room over  
><strong>PinkPixie: <strong>Can't wait though :)  
><strong>whenpigsfly: <strong>Sudden topic change! How's your night going?  
><strong>PinkPixie:<strong> Lol you're so weird! Writers need better transitions than that!  
><strong>PinkPixie: <strong>But Girls Night has been pretty tame. Little awkward for a few minutes there but quiet again now. Still find it odd how Sora's demeanor flips with a little alcohol. Are you having fun with the boys?  
><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> It's been a relatively good night, kind of hectic but that was expected to a degree  
><strong>whenpigsfly: <strong>Our brothers and I are trapped in the Digital World though

**A/N:** Due to holiday-related social obligations and an increased workload, this story is going to be updated at a relatively slower pace than the first one. I'll do my best to release the chapters as soon as possible without compromising the narrative, but bare with me :)


	2. Chapter 2: Guys' Night Out

**Chapter 02: Guys' Night Out**

With the boon of digivice-wielders following the fall of MaloMyotismon, Starmon's former-ghost town was revitalized by tourism until a gaggle of Old West digimon decided to take up a permanent residence. Now the sheriff's saloon bustled with newfound energy and chatter, the majority of which was centralized around the card table where one of the Chosen he encountered long ago was battling it out with the locals and a posh passing city-slicker.

Sweating anxiously, Daisuke left his hand lingering over his opponent's cards. Never had a game of Old Maid been so nerve-racking.  
><em>Why did I suggest we move the party to the Digital World? Why did I agree to this bet?<em>

"Choose carefully, Daisuke," the groom playfully reminded his protégé. "Remember, loser covers everyone's bar tab for the night."  
>"I know PrinceMamemon was the one boasting his wealth and gambling skills, but did we really have to push Daisuke into taking up that bet?" Ken asked.<br>"Hey, if he and Koushiro didn't drink everything Taichi and I bought for the party, we wouldn't have had to jump to the Digital World where saloons don't card minors," Yamato reminded the high school student. "Besides, it's not like you and Iori are drinking tonight, right?"  
>Ken shuddered. He remembered a little more than a year ago, his brain screeching like a howler monkey before he discovered several unflattering doodles scribbled on his skin. "No, never again."<br>"See, Daisuke, there's two less tabs you have to pay if you lose," Yamato beamed.  
>"Thanks, Ken" was all the appreciation the goggle-head could muster. A cursory glance at his hand revealed he had drawn the joker.<p>

"Hey, Yamato, your brother's playing with the ring again," Taichi noted with a nod towards the bar where Takeru was fiddling with a small box in his hands.  
>"Seriously?" his best friend groaned, finally breaking his attention away from the game. "I know I told him to hold onto it for safekeeping but what is his fascination with that thing?"<p>

* * *

><p>Takeru flipped open the velvet box.<br>Nestled within the silk-lined padding sat an elegant silver band adorning three diamonds, the center stone double the size of its companions. His brother had commissioned for the Crest of Love to be engraved into the heart of the largest jewel, but for the life of him, Takeru couldn't find it whenever he peered into the shimmering rock.  
><em>Seems kind of ridiculous to pay for beauty no one will ever see.<br>_Then again, the wedding band the young blonde was scrutinizing had been paid for by Yamato's cut of his band's tour last year. Poetic whimsies were less absurd and more romantic when you had ample scratch to satiate them.  
><em>Maybe if three publishers in a row hadn't shot my novel down. . . .<br>_The teenage Takaishi shut the box with a resigned sigh.

"You okay, Takeru?" a voice inquired from beside him. "You seem distracted."  
>"Yeah, weddings just make me nervous is all," Takeru admitted sheepishly. Taking a small swig of his beer, he added, "Not drinking tonight, Iori?"<br>"Nah," the youngest Chosen shook his head. "With Jou off earning his medical degree and Koushiro out of commission for the night, someone has to help Ken stay sober and keep watch."  
>The teenager face-planting the bar surface beside them murmured a weary, "Prodigous. . . ."<br>"What was he celebrating with Daisuke earlier anyways?" Takeru wondered as he threw an incredulous glance at the incapacitated Izumi.  
>"I'm not sure, but it must have been something big if it turned Koushiro into Taichi," Iori remarked.<p>

"Why, the first Chosen wedding of course. What else is it going to be?" Yamato sauntered over with an ear-to-ear grin. Mischievously, he added to the younger Takaishi, "By the way, you should put that ring away before we have to celebrate the _second_ Chosen wedding."  
>Face flushed, Takeru tucked the box back into his left pocket. The elder Ishida placed his hand reassuringly on his little brother's shoulder. "I'm just joking. I know you're having trouble handling the wedding. Breath and process it at your own pace, Takeru."<br>Exhaling slowly, Takeru managed to give his older sibling a relieved smile as Yamato handed him a new beer and clinked glasses.

"I'm glad you're enjoying your 'bachelor party', Yamato, but shouldn't you be keeping an eye on the other with all these digimon around?" Iori pressed worriedly  
>"Eh. Ken's got 'em covered," Yamato shrugged between gulps. " Besides, unlike Koushiro here, our two fearless leaders can handle themselves."<br>"Actually we may want to intervene soon," the brunette observed as he leapt off the bar stool.  
>"What are you tal—"<p>

"SMILEY WARHEAD!"

"TERRA FORCE!"

* * *

><p>"Get the digimon through the portal! Hurry!"<p>

Through the alcohol-fueled haze of jumbled thoughts, Daisuke still managed to assume his leadership role in a crisis.

PrinceMamemon, perennial sore loser and owner of a bar tab bordering one million digidollars, was in hot pursuit and WarGreymon, the only partner digimon capable of digivolving to mega due to his partner's excessive (liquid) courage, could only hold him back for a few more and Iori had already dragged Koushiro's passed out form through the gate, but as the thunderous clash grew louder and louder, the intrepid Motomiya was doing his best to corral the remaining partner digimon into the TV and back to the Real World.

"Come on, Wormmon!" he boomed. As Takeru scooped up the terrified rookie and unceremoniously heaved him across the threshold, Daisuke muttered, "How can someone with so many legs be so slow?"

"Taichi! I can't maintain this much longer!" WarGreymon called out as he rushed toward the Chosen children awaiting him at the gate. Almost on cue, his power quickly faded and an exhausted Agumon fell onto the dirt road with an "OOF!", his opponent closing in quickly.

"Gabumon, do you have enough energy to digivolve?" Yamato pleaded.  
>"I think I can muster," his partner dared, and with a concentrated effort managed, "GABUMON DIGIVOLVE TO GARURUMON!"<br>Pulling Taichi onto the dire wolf with him, Yamato darted off down the road, hoping to intercept the orange lizard before the mutant digimon could finish him off.

"Daisuke, jump through and check on the others," Takeru directed. "I can hold the gate from this side."  
>"If I don't bring you back, Hikari's going to kill me!" the goggle-head answered. He held no enthusiasm for abandoning his friends.<br>"If I don't bring Yamato back, there are two women and Dad who will kill me," the blonde chuckled. Atop his head, Patamon nodded in agreement.

Garurumon skidded as Taichi extended his arm out to his digimon's claw. With a great heave, he hoisted Agumon onto Garurumon's back, narrowly dodging another Smiley Warhead.

"I know you don't like the idea of leaving us behind, but Veemon already crossed over while carrying Gomamon. You're defenseless right now, Daisuke," Yamato's brother reminded him. "We'll be a few minutes tops."  
>His leader hesitated. With a frustrated sigh, he relented. "Alright, but no heroics, Takeru!" he ordered before entering the gate.<p>

Garurumon was only a few feet away when his vitality gave away. With their ride dedigivolved to the rookie stage, Taichi and Yamato quickly grabbed hold of their digimon partners and sprinted for the portal. PrinceMamemon tailed them by a few feet, the distance shortening by the second.

"Takeru, shut it down!" Taichi called over his shoulder as he leapt into the TV. Yamato caught his brother's wrist as followed suit, forcefully dragging him across the closing gate.

Their escape came to an abrupt halt with a booming CRASH! and before the three humans or their digimon could react, the inter-dimensional tunnel tore open beneath them.

* * *

><p><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> When Taichi updated the others to let them know we were ok, Ken assumed that PrinceMamemon bashed the TV in a fit of anger and with the connection between worlds disrupted, we just got dropped off wherever we happened to be passing through at the time  
><strong>PinkPixie:<strong> And you're sure it's the Digital World? Not some third or fourth dimension like the Dark Ocean or Super Crazy Wish World?  
><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> Er. . . 90% sure. There's color and things are coherent  
><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> Patamon says he just spotted some "Kapurimon" while scouting overhead so 95% sure now  
><strong>PinkPixie:<strong> Is there another gate nearby? I'll come get you!  
><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> Not one that the D-3 is picking up  
><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> Taichi and Yamato also don't want to explore until the digimon have rested up so it looks like we're settling in for the night  
><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> Taichi says to check if Koushiro has a tracking program for the digivices if Mimi doesn't kill him in the morning  
><strong>PinkPixie:<strong> Ok but try not to get into any more trouble before I rescue you. . . .  
><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> Heh you're awfully adamant about being my deus ex machina  
><strong>PinkPixie: <strong>"The adventure is less fulfilling if the damsel-in-distress is comfortable" ;)  
><strong>Whenpigsfly: <strong>. . .  
><strong>PinkPixie:<strong> Hey, if you keep insisting I'm an angel, I'm going to be a guardian angel :)  
><strong>PinkPixie:<strong> Just stay safe until morning, okay? I love you :)  
><strong>whenpigsfly:<strong> Mk, will do. Sweet dreams, Hikari. Love you too :)

Takeru flipped his D-Terminal closed. Instinctively, his hand reached into his right pocket and grasped the small box it found there.  
><em>Guardian angel, huh?<br>_Something about the tactile sensation of the box lifted his spirits.  
><em>Are you going to be my guardian angel forever, Hikari?<em>


End file.
